2015 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class Review

The latter comes as standard for the four and six-cylinder CLS-Class, including our 250. To put it simply, Direct Control is the pompous way of saying that steel springs and selective dampers are what you’re getting.

For very obvious reasons, the entry-level variant of the CLS Shooting Brake comes with self-levelling air suspension for the rear wheels. Coupled with the electromechanical Direct-Steer system, the CLS 250 BlueTEC 4Matic is a comfortable cruiser which is a doodle to drive. Comfortable in the city and fairly agile in the open, the basic setup doesn’t disappoint, but it does suffer from a number of widely-known shortcomings.

The hydraulic-less steering doesn’t report to the driver things such as how the front rubber flexes on the surface it’s being driven on. Even if you happen to hit a pothole, the steering wheel doesn’t transmit anything to your fingertips.

It would be stupid to demand Porsche-level feeling, but too much comfort leads to spoiling the fun out from the driving experience. It’s only when you stray from the lane you’re driving on that the steering wheel will vibrate at the nine o’clock and three o’clock positions to alert you that you have to make a small correction.

Then there’s the suspension. Its comfort-focused setup does impress considering steel springs take all the abuse, but even smoothly integrated tram lines will unsettle the CLS 250. Not by much though. In such a situation, it’s easy to figure out that the suspension doesn’t travel as much as it would be needed to glide over asphaltic imperfections without a fuss. I wouldn’t describe this triviality as an intrusive kink or a deal breaker.

A deal breaker on the configuration we were given by Merc is represented by the seats. To spend €1,100 on vented seats is a must especially if you live in a place that’s hot and humid for most of the year. But please give the memory seats a go as well.

Our CLS’ front seats came with power adjustments for the seat height and backrest, but no electrically operated function for moving them back or forth. To adjust the latter by pulling a plastic lever placed under the seat is simply not right for a three-pointed star proposition in this upmarket segment.

The sound processor virtualizes the mids, which translates to a fuller listening experience if you’re into older popular music such as Bo Diddley, Bill Evans or The Beatles. In the case of more modern recording artists, the optional premium audio system over-enhances the sonorousness of an Ed Sheeran hit single.  

On a more positive note, my thumbs up are going to how the peeps from Mercedes slightly lowered the seat base, giving the driver the sensation of being more connected to the road. But this solution also brings a small snag we deem necessary to point out to you. The lowered seat base requires you to flex your ankles at a degree that will prove tiresome after half an hour of driving. My bones are still young and healthy, but it happened to me on more than one occasion during my time behind the wheel of this CLS 250 I’ve actually grown fond of.

Don’t ask me to put the finger on what made me like this car, but I’ve felt sorry when I had to return the CLS 250 BlueTEC 4Matic back to the Mercedes-Benz press office. If you insist, I’m much obliged to report that the 4Matic AWD system does what it was meant to do without making its presence felt at all, not even on low-grip surfaces. It’s skillfully integrated with the E-Class-derived platform on which the CLS is based on, but don’t expect it to work off the beaten path because the E-segment model doesn’t have the ground clearance for that.

The inviting cabin is also a detail I found to my liking. Virtually a carbon copy of what you’ll find inside an E-Class, there’s a general feeling of German attention to detail and every single piece of kit works like clockwork.

Some will say it’s not special enough for a premium model in this segment, while some will be fairly vocal about Mercedes’ cold shoulder towards touch-sensitive controls. But then again, this is not an S-Class, nor a pimp-grade mobile developed solely around the wow factor.

If you want to be thoroughly wooed by the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 250 BlueTEC 4Matic, I suggest to turn the key in the ignition and concentrate on the start-up sequence of the Multibeam LED headlights. It would be redundant to tell you how 24 LEDs in a matrix light source can swivel left and right or up and down.

What really matters is that the technology is able to adapt itself according to the road ahead and weather conditions, giving maximum illumination depending on what the camera integrated in the windscreen thinks is necessary.

Apart from offering good visibility on bends and roundabouts, each LED that makes up the Multibeam clusters is dimmable in 255 stages, preventing other drivers from being dazzled by you. At the same moment, the technology illuminates traffic signs by pointing a powerful beam of light towards anything from a speed limiter to a route confirmation sign and so forth. What impressed me most though, is the previously mentioned start-up sequence, which you can admire in the video below.

Wonder how much Mercedes charges for a rearview parking camera? That would be €400! I am well aware that even the base US-spec model - the $65,990 CLS 400, adds a parking camera if you’re willing to pay $3,250 on the Premium 1 Package, but this gizmo will soon become as mandatory as wearing a seatbelt. Dear Mercedes-Benz, please do not charge us for stuff that should be standard from square one.

The poplar wood trim that adorns the dashboard and center console is a free-of-charge feature that doesn’t look half bad thanks to its satin finish. Truth be told, it doesn’t feel as posh as the open-pore dark walnut wood you can specify on ultra-luxury machines, but it’s so much better than the traditional thick, glossy finishing lacquer. Additionally, the poplar wood contrasts beautifully with the black perforated leather seats.

Those among you that cannot get over the enthralling lines and exciting proportions of the facelifted CLS can make a compromise by opting for the Shooting Brake. It’s more striking to look at, it’s more practical and, without a doubt, it’s as rare as hen’s teeth. Granted, the updates that were operated to the infotainment system are easily perceivable, but the satellite navigation is as clunky and unfathomable as ever.

The Linguatronic voice control is a feature also worth improving. After every “143 Church street” or “Call Danna” spoken loud and crisp, I was asked to say it again. On another try, the radio went all silent. Communication breakdown is the right choice of words here.

Thankfully though, the Bluetooth hands-free telephony system is a joy to operate even when driving at highway speeds with some winter tire roar infiltrating the cabin. It would be narrow-minded to demand bank safe-level soundproofing from this refreshed CLS 250 BlueTEC 4Matic.

Those elegant pillarless doors take their toll on this NVH aspect as well, making up for the definitive reason why it’s not worth our time to nitpick on it.

Would it be of any relevance to tell you that seating for all four adults is adequate and that the trunk swallows a whole lot of junk for a weekend away from the city?

These are details that are championed around by most motoring publications that got to test the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. But let me share a dirty secret with you, one that Mercedes and other reviewers “forgot” to mention. Have a guess what’s under the boot’s floor.

Is it a full-size spare wheel? What about a dragster-like space-saver wheel? A few hundred liters of storage more? You didn’t guess it, sorry! Being animated by a smooth yet archaic 2.1L turbo diesel, the BlueTEC badge on the rear of this CLS 250 is a tell-tale sign that AdBlue technology has been employed to reduce harmful nitrogen oxides found in burnt fuel emissions.

We may be laughing our socks off now because of this packaging fiasco, but do remember that during the mid-Noughties, Daimler AG agreed to share BlueTEC technology with Volkswagen and Audi. The VW Jetta Clean TDI and the Touareg BlueTDI are the products of this licensing program.

All in all, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 250 BlueTEC 4Matic is a vehicle of many do’s and just as many don’ts. From our experience with the facelifted C218 generation, be generous with the optional extras and tick as many boxes as you’re able to afford, including a powerplant that has at least six cylinders.

Be wary though - if your configuration of choice seems to be a tad too much to make the purchase worthwhile, try configuring the Audi A7 and BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe to a similar spec to the Merc’s.

You’ll be somewhat surprised by the end result.